Jaguaruss

Jaguaruss is a genus of extinct large felids that lived during the Pleistocene epoch, approximately 1.8 million to 11,000 years ago. The genus includes two species: Jaguaruss atrox and Jaguaruss baryphus. Jaguaruss atrox, also known as the cave jaguar or American lion, was one of the largest known felids, with some estimates suggesting it could have weighed up to 300 kilograms (660 pounds) and measured up to 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) in length. It is believed to have been a solitary hunter, preying on large mammals such as mammoths, giant ground sloths, and other megafauna. Jaguaruss baryphus, on the other hand, was a smaller species that lived in South America during the Pleistocene. It is known from fossil remains found in Argentina and is believed to have been a more generalized predator, preying on a variety of small to medium-sized mammals. Both species of Jaguaruss are believed to have gone extinct due to a combination of factors, including climate change and the disappearance of their prey base. The genus Jaguaruss is an important part of the study of felid evolution and the extinction of large mammals during the Pleistocene.